Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Saint Advisory Council
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*
Late autumn into early winter, Fernandez Cerned walked along a long mountain path where fallen leaves rustled underfoot. Far in the distance, he could see the outer walls of the Inquisition Keep. It resembled a fang protruding from the midst of deep forests and valleys.
-Swak.
Numerous brothers walked alongside him. Without a word, they simply rolled their rosaries in their fingers, contemplating the brothers who had fallen during the mission. There was always a solemn atmosphere on the way back after completing a task.
It was inconceivable that a brother thought dead had returned, and that they had achieved the feat of slaying a great demon mid-mission. Coffin carts bearing the brothers' caskets led the procession, followed by a path shrouded in silence.
-Kkiiik...
The outer gate of the keep was opening. Inside, all members of the central headquarters had come out, lining the way and gazing at them. Fernandez could see the red papal banners fluttering above. Banners emblazoned with keys, crowns, swords, and olive branches.
'The Pope has come in person.'
He knew the reason without asking. He had already been informed by Zephys before departure about the convocation of the Saint Advisory Council.
The Saint Advisory Council was a kind of hearing. It would be intensely aggressive and sharp. And now, he was merely a lay believer who had even lost his stigmata.
It could be an even harsher environment than for a layman. Losing one's stigmata could be interpreted as having been stripped of the gods' blessing and approval...
Yet Fernandez smiled as he gazed at the fluttering papal banner. The Pope's personal presence meant the Pope supported him.
A canonization hearing presided over by the Pope who had traveled such a great distance could not end in failure.
-Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo.
As the coffin carts at the head of the procession passed through the outer keep's entrance, the monks lining the sides began humming in unison. Low, high, weaving complex harmonies.
-May the Holy Pantheon bless you, as the martyr of the proxies departs this path.
-Angels will guide you to paradise,
-Prophets will welcome you when you arrive,
-The halls of the gods await you.
-Not seeking earthly peace and comfort,
-But only to praise Your holiness,
-Brother, our paths have always been one,
-Pray until we meet again.
-You take the brightest shining among us,
-To make him a star of the world.
The dirge echoed across the front courtyard of the Inquisition Keep. Priests do not shed tears. They merely bestow blessings. The departed brothers have simply gone a little ahead. Someday, their fates will be no different.
Atop the coffin carts, brothers planted key-swords in place of flowers. Small rosaries studded the surfaces like spines on a hedgehog.
-May the Holy Pantheon bless you.
-The brightest shining among us heads to the halls.
-To make him a beacon of the halls.
Fernandez too planted his key-sword into a coffin cart. In an era where death was near and farewells common, grief was merely a byproduct for priests. Gazing at the caskets being carried to the key-sword sanctum, the priests prayed in unison.
"Brother."
Zephys clapped his shoulder. As Fernandez looked at him, Zephys, his eyes red-rimmed, whispered in a parched voice.
"His Holiness awaits. Let us go."
"Yes, Brother."
The living have their time for the living. Fernandez offered a brief moment of silence and then departed.
*
At the entrance to the grand chapel stood knights of the order clad in ornate armor. They leveled gleaming halberds, glaring at the approaching Fernandez.
"You are Brother Fernandez?"
"Indeed."
"Be humble. This is His Holiness's personal presence."
Fernandez smiled as he eyed the door opening between the halberds. Humble. The order's knights wore splendid ceremonial plate and enjoyed fine lodging and meals, but the inquisitors did not. Their lecturing was laughable before judging superiority.
-Kkiiik.
The chapel doors opened. At the end of the aisle laid with red carpet, the Pope in violet vestments conversed with other priests.
As the doors opened, their gazes fell upon Fernandez. He walked the aisle and prostrated before the Pope.
"May the Holy Pantheon bless you. Fernandez Cerned meets His Holiness the Pope."
"It's been a while, Brother."
The Pope looked down at him with a modest smile.
"I heard of your deeds through letters. Astonishing achievements and traces left behind."
"Hard to believe they were the work of one man."
A priest beside the Pope sneered.
"I am Cardinal Kaliocini. I am here for the convocation of the Saint Advisory Council. Lay priest Fernandez Cerned. Have you truly lost your stigmata?"
"Yes."
After a brief silence, the Pope spoke.
"I myself witnessed the grace upon you, Brother. Might you show it?"
Without a word, Fernandez undid his front laces, baring his chest. His solidly trained, rugged pectorals gleamed under the sanctuary's torchlight. The Pope sighed at the pristine skin bearing no trace.
"It is true. Might I hear what happened?"
"It was lost in the process of slaying the demon of the Great Wilderness."
"I didn't know stigmata were consumables. Lay priest. Was there no other reason?"
Cardinal Kaliocini glared at him. Fernandez understood the implication at the end of those words. Corruption. The cardinal was asking if he had fallen and thus lost his stigmata.
"We are the keys that open the gates to the halls of the Holy Pantheon, Your Eminence. Stigmata are merely Your tools and cannot symbolize our own holiness or purity."
"What does it mean that it was lost in the slaying process?"
"The stigmata upon me was [Blessing of Immortality]. As submitted in my mission report, I offered it as sacrifice to burn away the great demon's immortality."
The antithesis of death is immortality. To kill death, the Blessing of Immortality was used. It was an utterly abstract statement, but priests were ascetics who pondered abstractions by nature. As Fernandez intended, the cardinal fell silent.
The Pope approached the kneeling Fernandez and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"If there were an aura of corruption, the other brothers of the Inquisition Keep would have noticed first. I do not doubt you, Brother."
"Your Holiness, but..."
"Enough."
The Pope looked down at Fernandez.
"A few confirmations are needed, Brother. Is the great demon truly gone forever?"
"Yes."
"Praise the holiness of the Lord."
As the Pope made the sign of the cross, the cardinals followed in unison.
"You have achieved a feat unseen again in the material world. Was it not the Lord's will that you came to us at this time? You purified the long corruption of the Fairn Kingdom, cleansed the Dane Kingdom, and now the Great Wilderness. I wish to add blessings to your path, but as a mere mortal, I have no more to give."
The Pope declared, looking to the cardinals.
"The Saint Advisory Council is mere formality. Grasses bloom over the wastes of the Great Wilderness, signs of life returning reported from all quarters. All evidence is clear, so I recommend canonizing this young man."
"...Was not Your Holiness's personal presence for that very purpose?"
"Merely for confirmation. What say you?"
"My duty is unanimous opposition, Your Holiness. But..."
Cardinal Kaliocini glared at Fernandez briefly, then relaxed his eyes. He sighed and made a brief sign of the cross.
"I pray the Lord's blessings be with all Brother's endeavors."
"Rise, Brother. Your priesthood is restored. You are the 'Saint of the Great Wilderness.'"
Though the conclusion was expected, Fernandez looked up at the Pope with a dazed expression.
"Is it alright to decide so swiftly?"
"The conclusion was reached before your arrival. As you said, Brother, stigmata are mere symbols, not the essence. Were not the past saints made in haste by their presence overly urgent?"
"Do you believe all my reports?"
"Did you hope I wouldn't? The evidence is overwhelming. Not just your reports—we gather testimonies from all angles of the incident."
This is true canonization in the profoundest sense. The Pope smiled and stroked Fernandez's head. A chamberlain soon approached, handing the Pope a small vessel.
The Pope dipped his thumb into it and anointed Fernandez's forehead with oil.
"Blessed Fernandez Cerned. May the grace of the Lord be with you. This is not a mortal's blessing, but the Lord's anointing. Receive it gladly, may your path ever be blessed."
"May the Holy Pantheon bless you."
As the cardinals prayed in unison, the chapel's torches flared brightly. The massive key-sword statue at the far end gleamed momentarily in the torchlight.
"Continue your work as before. Advance without doubt or hesitation. Judgment is not ours, but the Lord's alone. May your path ever be blessed."
"Praise only the holiness of the Lord."
Amid the cardinals' prayers, Fernandez sensed Beitasser's presence. His soul, having transcended mortal bounds and embraced divinity, had grown more sensitive to such auras.
Sealed away, yet watching everything. Beitasser. Yes, are you pleased? Do your praying soldiers amuse you? Fernandez closed his eyes and whispered.
[No, I am pleased with your defection.]
A voice sounded in Fernandez's ear. He frowned and opened his eyes. Time had stopped. The Pope and cardinals gazing at him stood frozen like statues, even the floating dust fixed in place.
Amid it all, Beitasser regarded him.
[You are no longer the demon worshiper Feizashi Wildcast. Have you not felt your own change? You have become a saint who grieves for kin's death, the loss of justice, brothers' sacrifice.]
"You did not change my disposition."
[It was merely inherent within you. Not I. You are right, Fernandez.]
"My deeds were not for you. Nor was I a puppet dancing to your schemes or designs."
[Yes. That pleases me. Though not in the past, now you hold the same vista beneath your gaze. Fernandez. Henceforth, I shall grant you no stigmata or blessings.]
Beitasser approached and extended his hand. Fernandez grasped it dazedly, and Beitasser smiled.
[You need them no longer. You are no servant, pawn, or foe of mine. Merely... in your words, a partner.]
But a gift for you, for mortals require clear proof. Beitasser smiled, released his hand, and slowly faded.
In his place stood a greatsword embedded there. A key-sword. The divine relic symbolizing Beitasser's power and authority remained.
-Meddlesome as ever.
Feizashi chuckled at the sight. Time began to flow again. Fernandez watched the Pope and cardinals gasp in awe at the sudden radiance, divine presence, and appeared relic.
'Indeed. Meddlesome.'
Smiling, Fernandez rose and gripped the key-sword's hilt, drawing it forth.
"Praise the holiness of the Lord..."
Hearing the Pope's exclamation, Fernandez looked down upon the kneeling Pope and cardinals in prayer. This position is what the gods behold. Yes, Beitasser, now we hold the same vista beneath our gaze.